Civil libertarians have long had a dysfunctional relationship with the Democratic Party, which treats them as a captive voting bloc with nowhere else to turn in elections. Not even this history, however, prepared civil libertarians for Obama. After the George W. Bush years, they were ready to fight to regain ground lost after Sept. 11. Historically, this country has tended to correct periods of heightened police powers with a pendulum swing back toward greater individual rights. Many were questioning the extreme measures taken by the Bush administration, especially after the disclosure of abuses and illegalities. Candidate Obama capitalized on this swing and portrayed himself as the champion of civil liberties.

However, President Obama not only retained the controversial Bush policies, he expanded on them. The earliest, and most startling, move came quickly. Soon after his election, various military and political figures reported that Obama reportedly promised Bush officials in private that no one would be investigated or prosecuted for torture. In his first year, Obama made good on that promise, announcing that no CIA employee would be prosecuted for torture. Later, his administration refused to prosecute any of the Bush officials responsible for ordering or justifying the program and embraced the "just following orders" defense for other officials, the very defense rejected by the United States at the Nuremberg trials after World War II.

Obama failed to close Guantanamo Bay as promised. He continued warrantless surveillance and military tribunals that denied defendants basic rights. He asserted the right to kill U.S. citizens he views as terrorists. His administration has fought to block dozens of public-interest lawsuits challenging privacy violations and presidential abuses.

But perhaps the biggest blow to civil liberties is what he has done to the movement itself. It has quieted to a whisper, muted by the power of Obama's personality and his symbolic importance as the first black president as well as the liberal who replaced Bush. Indeed, only a few days after he took office, the Nobel committee awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize without his having a single accomplishment to his credit beyond being elected. Many Democrats were, and remain, enraptured.

It's almost a classic case of the Stockholm syndrome, in which a hostage bonds with his captor despite the obvious threat to his existence. Even though many Democrats admit in private that they are shocked by Obama's position on civil liberties, they are incapable of opposing him. Some insist that they are simply motivated by realism: A Republican would be worse. However, realism alone cannot explain the utter absence of a push for an alternative Democratic candidate or organized opposition to Obama's policies on civil liberties in Congress during his term. It looks more like a cult of personality. Obama's policies have become secondary to his persona.

If Obama is a civil liberty disaster, it is because he had excellent guides and teachers. The Patriot Act was most egregious in its unmitigated attempt to curtail American citizens. And I do believe it was Bush and Cheney who used communication giants like AT&T to spy on American citizens without benefit of first obtaining a subpoena to do so - talk about circumventing the law which is always an attack on America's civil liberties.

The real attack on our civil liberties continue because of arrogant politicians who are unwilling or unable to accept their share of the responsibility and those who blindly support them. Obama may have in too many incidences followed the lead set by Bush and Company with regard to policies aimed at further stripping Americans of their civil rights, but he most certainly did not spearhead it. If you must place blame, which the majority of conservative Americans are driven to do, start at the beginning, not in the middle.

If Obama is a civil liberty disaster, it is because he had excellent guides and teachers. The Patriot Act was most egregious in its unmitigated attempt to curtail American citizens. And I do believe it was Bush and Cheney who used communication giants like AT&T to spy on American citizens without benefit of first obtaining a subpoena to do so - talk about circumventing the law which is always an attack on America's civil liberties.

The real attack on our civil liberties continue because of arrogant politicians who are unwilling or unable to accept their share of the responsibility and those who blindly support them. Obama may have in too many incidences followed the lead set by Bush and Company with regard to policies aimed at further stripping Americans of their civil rights, but he most certainly did not spearhead it. If you must place blame, which the majority of conservative Americans are driven to do, start at the beginning, not in the middle.

If Obama is a civil liberty disaster, it is because he had excellent guides and teachers. The Patriot Act was most egregious in its unmitigated attempt to curtail American citizens. And I do believe it was Bush and Cheney who used communication giants like AT&T to spy on American citizens without benefit of first obtaining a subpoena to do so - talk about circumventing the law which is always an attack on America's civil liberties.

The real attack on our civil liberties continue because of arrogant politicians who are unwilling or unable to accept their share of the responsibility and those who blindly support them. Obama may have in too many incidences followed the lead set by Bush and Company with regard to policies aimed at further stripping Americans of their civil rights, but he most certainly did not spearhead it. If you must place blame, which the majority of conservative Americans are driven to do, start at the beginning, not in the middle.

but perhaps the biggest blow to civil liberties is what he has done to the movement itself. It has quieted to a whisper, muted by the power of obama's personality and his symbolic importance as the first black president as well as the liberal who replaced bush. Indeed, only a few days after he took office, the nobel committee awarded him the nobel peace prize without his having a single accomplishment to his credit beyond being elected. Many democrats were, and remain, enraptured.

it's almost a classic case of the stockholm syndrome, in which a hostage bonds with his captor despite the obvious threat to his existence. Even though many democrats admit in private that they are shocked by obama's position on civil liberties, they are incapable of opposing him. some insist that they are simply motivated by realism: A republican would be worse. However, realism alone cannot explain the utter absence of a push for an alternative democratic candidate or organized opposition to obama's policies on civil liberties in congress during his term. It looks more like a cult of personality. Obama's policies have become secondary to his persona.

Many were questioning the extreme measures taken by the Bush administration, especially after the disclosure of abuses and illegalities. Candidate Obama capitalized on this swing and portrayed himself as the champion of civil liberties.

However, President Obama not only retained the controversial Bush policies, he expanded on them. The earliest, and most startling, move came quickly. Soon after his election, various military and political figures reported that Obama reportedly promised Bush officials in private that no one would be investigated or prosecuted for torture. In his first year, Obama made good on that promise, announcing that no CIA employee would be prosecuted for torture. Later, his administration refused to prosecute any of the Bush officials responsible for ordering or justifying the program and embraced the "just following orders" defense for other officials, the very defense rejected by the United States at the Nuremberg trials after World War II.

Obama failed to close Guantanamo Bay as promised. He continued warrantless surveillance and military tribunals that denied defendants basic rights. He asserted the right to kill U.S. citizens he views as terrorists. His administration has fought to block dozens of public-interest lawsuits challenging privacy violations and presidential abuses.

But perhaps the biggest blow to civil liberties is what he has done to the movement itself. It has quieted to a whisper, muted by the power of Obama's personality and his symbolic importance as the first black president as well as the liberal who replaced Bush. Indeed, only a few days after he took office, the Nobel committee awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize without his having a single accomplishment to his credit beyond being elected. Many Democrats were, and remain, enraptured.

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